Taking stock of the world in 2024…
Our dear readers, and friends and allies of CMCCF…
Let me start off the first post of 2024 with a sweet bouquet of good wishes for you all. I don’t know about you but these days I feel like I could use such a bouquet myself! When a new year begins with headlines that cite statistics like `soon we’re completing two years since the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine,’ or `its now more than 100 days in the current Israel-Palestine war,’ surely it is time to stop and ponder about the world we live in. With death tolls of children and other innocent civilians rising with rapidity, I wonder if it is more important to muse about the root causes of violence that shape the world we inhabit; or should the focus instead be on urgent solutions that must be created to manage humanitarian crises, and put in place measures that can bring about peace?
So many parts of the world are burning today, so many burning issues are shaping our political and socio-economic realities, so much humanity is undergoing suffering right under our noses; at the very same moment there are celebrations ongoing too, in other parts of the world. That is what life essentially is-a mixed bag, of random contradictions and inequalities. At a dark time like ours, many advise- especially those who believe in optimism-that we must keep the flame of hope alive at all cost. On most days, I believe that too. But I also ask, is that enough?
We need more than hope; how about creating spaces for action, empathy, justice?
To be honest, I think we need to do more than just hope. Perhaps in this new year, still in its infancy, each of us can try a bit harder-to do our part to make the world a better place, make a positive difference in whatever small ways by sharing with others any expertise, abilities, or resources we have. Maybe some can provide thought-leadership; others may offer up their time in ways that are easy for them, but their contributions may significantly impact the lives of individuals and organizations, and ultimately lead to social and transformative change. Others may provide coaching and mentorship, meeting those who need help wherever they may be.
Surely, we can all try to create more space in our every-day lives and in our relationships with friends and with strangers-for empathy and for care; and for justice, fairness, peace. Perhaps, we may simply spare a few moments thinking of the `other,’ the `outsider,’ or the `stranger,’ reimagining them as friend, relative, neighbour? Ultimately it is about the responsibility each human decides to take for the `other’ in their neighbourhood or in the world at large.
Why we show up, and why it matters
Some of the guests and speakers who are part of the CMCCF family have shown us by example, and by role-modelling, how this can be done; for instance, when Peter Block-who works like us, in a community setting too- joins us in our conversations, he always pushes us to think deeply, urging us to ask of ourselves, why it matters to us to show up in certain groups and discussions, why we do what we do, and how can each of us go that extra mile to think about the `the stranger,’ and welcome them into our world.
In one of our recent project meetings at CMCCF, I recall this topic came up for discussion too. One of the areas of focus in the particular project we were discussing was `pathfinding our way to healing’ and `creating wellness-futures at a collective and community level.’ Some of our young community members and leaders led us forward with wisdom, alerting us about the need to be patient as we may not see the change we’re working towards for a very long time; sharing the analogy that perhaps when someone plants that first seed, `they are only taking the first step towards an outcome that they will not see in their lifetime.’ But this does not mean that what we do does not matter; in fact, if we thought like that, nobody would plant any seeds, and we would have even fewer trees than we currently do!
`Let’s just do what we have to do’
In other words, each seed someone plants; and every thought and action they come up with, adds up to create an aggregated impact. Such a perspective is important to embrace I believe, if we are to act in fairness, humility, and good intent always, and if our aim is to actualise social justice one step at a time. Summing up the wisdom I gathered from the conversation I referred to above: we decided `we just do what we have to do.’ Interestingly, (and incidentally), it is a similar message that is at the heart of the ancient Hindu epic, the Bhagavad Gita (part of the Mahabharata): it encourages us to do our duty, do the right thing always, while cultivating a sense of detachment from the outcomes of our actions.
Closing on a note of gratitude...
Given this may be one of the last blogposts in this series, `the JEDI Journey with Alka,’ I must close it with a note of gratitude! As we move closer to wrap-up time for the JEDI project, first off, I must offer a word of thanks to you all, to our friends, our allies, and co-conspirators from so many cultural communities who joined us on this purposeful and fun ride on the JEDI train! Many of us on the CMCCF team feel we experienced a lot, and through this experiential learning, we also grew in our capacity to forge meaningful relationships with each other, to care for each other. This learning has also led to the expansion of our understanding about well-being, and it has made many of us more resilient.
Your participation during our engagement sessions, and your contributions as guests and panellists, community leaders and audiences have brought to discussions new insights and perspectives; and these have helped all who joined these meetings to understand more deeply and more authentically the power of lived experience stories. We appreciate our readers, and those who follow us on our social media platforms, and others who view the stories we share through the CMCCF YouTube channel. We appreciate you for being part of the JEDI journey with our team, for following our storytellers, and for regularly reading our blogs and stories on our website- stories about amazing individuals and their life-changing journeys of hardship, wisdom, and hope.
We invite you to continue to stay connected with us as we move from our current state to the avatar we take on in the future. However different the CMCCF logistics and programming might look as move forward, the ideas and commitments that guide the work we do will remain steadfast to our shared values and objectives; and these are to work with cultural communities, so they may more clearly envision their own healing journeys and co-create pathways to their well-being futures in Canada.
Until next time then, take care of yourselves, but think also of being more welcoming of that stranger…
The views expressed in this blog post are mine, and I take full responsibility for them. We are always wanting to hear from you – please share your thoughts and feedback by completing our contact form here or by emailing hello@cmccfamilies.ca.
To learn more about our Intercultural and Intergenerational Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Project, go to our J.E.D.I. Initiative landing page here.
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